RNA interference is a natural phenomenon. When a cell senses a double strand of RNA, it acts to silence any genes with the corresponding sequence of bases. Andrew Pollack
Noun I find it hard to sleep unless there is complete silence. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. We sat there in dead silence. My sister's revelation was met with stunned silence. The professor asked for silence. There was an awkward silence after he confessed his love for her. A long silence followed her reply. We must break 50 years of silence on issues like the government's involvement in assassination and espionage. I will not be intimidated into silence. She finally ended her silence and spoke to the media about what happened. Verb My sister's revelation silenced everyone around the table. Disconnecting the battery will silence the alarm. The mayor tried to silence his critics. I will not be silenced! It's obvious that the purpose of this law is to silence dissent. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Thomas More was put on trial, and knights used to ready their horses for jousting in the yard outside, held the special silence of many people being silent. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2022 All of the stadium floodlights were also turned off during the silence, apart from a single spotlight. Staff Author Published, Peoplemag, 17 Sep. 2022 So when all those sounds disappeared in 2020, when the Bees’ season was canceled because of the coronavirus, the silence was disconcerting. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Sep. 2022 The pregnant silence afterward hung in the air like a prayer. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2022 When the conversation lulled, Elizabeth would often turn her attention to her dogs to fill the silence. Samya Kullab, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2022 For some, the silence could represent genuine confusion as to how exactly they’re meant to conform to the sanctions. Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2022 The silence across the government did not still a welter of questions surrounding the incident that is an embarrassment to wide swatches of the federal authorities in San Diego, from the Department of Justice to the court and court agencies.San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022 In the operating room, the silence stretched on as the obstetrician cut the cord and handed me the newborn, covered with amniotic fluid tinged red from a cesarean birth. Christopher Hartnick, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022
Verb
In ‘Manhunt,’ Silva and Woody Strode played American assassins out to silence a pimp who’s wrongfully blamed for the disappearance of a shipment of heroin; ‘The Boss’ saw one of Silva’s best performances, playing a hitman working for a Mafioso. Variety, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2022 In ‘Manhunt,’ Silva and Woody Strode played American assassins out to silence a pimp who’s wrongfully blamed for the disappearance of a shipment of heroin; ‘The Boss’ saw one of Silva’s best performances, playing a hitman working for a Mafioso. Carmel Dagan, Variety, 16 Sep. 2022 But police have moved in to silence these demonstrations, even arresting some of the men and women behind them. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Wilson and the Broncos had plenty of chances to silence the crowd. Tim Booth, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2022 The order came as the government seeks to silence criticism amid growing economic turmoil and political pressure. Lindsey Bahr, ajc, 10 Sep. 2022 White House aides collude with tech platforms to silence dissenting voices on Covid. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 Since coming to power, Xi has waged a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown to purge opponents, silence dissent and instill loyalty. Nectar Gan, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 The city is working with Union Pacific to determine designs that could silence the whistles. Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin silentium, from silent-, silens